Blind Spot

Why We Fail to See the Solution Right in Front of Us

About the Book

The Voynich Manuscript has been considered to be the world's most mysterious book. Filled with strange illustrations and an unknown language, it challenged the world's top code-crackers for nearly a century.

But in just four-and-a-half months, Dr. Gordon Rugg, a renowned researcher, found evidence (which had been there all along) that the book could be a giant, glittering hoax.

In Blind Spot: Why We Fail to See the Solution Right in Front of Us, Dr. Rugg shares his story and shows how his toolkit of problem-solving techniques—such as his Verifier Method—can save the day, particularly in those times when the experts on your team have all the data in front of them but are still unaccountably at an impasse.

In the tradition of Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Ariely, Dr. Rugg, a rising star in computer science, challenges us to re-examine the way we think, and provides new tools to solve problems and crack codes in our own lives.

What does predicting the winner of a soccer match say about our ability to make the right choice?

When we talk about experts, we typically have bought into the idea that they have all the answers. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Gordon Rugg exposes the surprising ways in which all people tend to make the same sorts of mistakes, regardless of what field they are in, how smart they are, or even their level of expertise. Focusing on why and how we make decisions, Rugg offers insight into what motivates us, how we fail to find the answers we are looking for, how we can learn to ask the essential questions, and more.

Rugg has devoted his life to learning how experts solve problems. He gained international attention after arguing persuasively that the famous Voynich Manuscript is a hoax. Now, he demonstrates his techniques in the Verifier Method, which can be applied to any seemingly unsolvable problem.

Drawing on his personal odyssey in the field of human expertise, Rugg makes astute and entertaining conclusions about how and why we inevitably fail, and explains how to make better mistakes, work backward, and reengineer the ways we pursue success.

Educator and Librarian Resources

Critical Praise

“A wonderful work…Rugg has succeeded in pulling off the almost impossible task of presenting a highly complex subject area in a way that can be understood by all.” — Wesley Vernon, O.B.E., professor at Jordanthorpe Healthe Centre, Sheffield

“Rugg is at the cutting edge of research into one of the biggest questions of our time: when can the pronouncements of experts be trusted? This book applies Rugg’s groundbreaking methods to a fascinating range of issues, with sometimes shocking consequences.” — Robert Matthews, Department of Mathematics at Aston University, Birmingham, and author of 25 Big Ideas: The Science That's Changing Our World

“Blind Spot provides a template for making sense of failure and divining a strategy for success. A unique and invigorating read; compelling and entertaining, informative and inspiring.” — David J. Parkes, associate director of Information Services at Staffordshire University

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